Dovetail Brewery — Restaurant in Lake View Township

I've always had a great time at Dovetail. The brewery tour is the best in town, the beers are meticulously-crafted and worth the time and effort spent on them, and the people there are top notch. I feel it necessary to rebut and respond to some of the critiques from recent customers who had some, shall we say, interesting expectations:

20% autogratuity: The people that serve you in your day-to-day doings are more than NPCs that disappear when you start a new mission. Bartenders are not only humans that eat, sleep, and use the bathroom, but they actually have bills to pay! Until we live in a society with a robust enough social safety net that things like housing, food, and healthcare are not commoditized, we should be so happy to provide the people putting themselves at risk for us every day during a deadly pandemic with a decent living. If you can't afford a gratuity, don't go out. If you don't think the people pouring your drinks deserve a gratuity, don't show your face in polite society.

Samplers/Flights: The inherent correctness of the customer is an assumption culled from the mindpalace of someone who's never cleaned a dish that wasn't their own. Indecision shouldn't be coddled or rewarded. Beer samplers are nothing but conspicuous consumption, Instagram fodder, the zymurgic equivalent of jangling keys in front of an infant's face. A full glass allows one to fully appreciate the beer and its aesthetic properties. If you like washing glasses so much, make yourself a little beer flight at home and put the 3/4-full cans back in the refrigerator so you can do it all again in a couple days. Otherwise, treat yourself and your bar staff with some respect and get a pint.

No under-21s at the bar: America is a weird country with weird drinking customs. As such, the bar is a place for adults. I'm sorry that your child is not an adult, but they'll get there soon enough. Until then, there are plenty of places that cater to people with children. They might serve beer samplers there, too.

"You have to buy bottled water", "There are no doggy bowls", "The sun was really hot outside!", "The train is noisy :(", etc.: It's a poor adventurer who cites their own lack of preparation.

If you're expecting a normal going-out experience while there's still a pandemic raging, I'm not sure what to tell you. Expecting a red carpet experience at a locally-owned independent brewery that's had to change the entire way they operate several times in 15 months seems a bit lofty. But until then, the folks at Dovetail, like many other fine establishments in our wonderful city, are making do the best way they know how. Faulting anyone for safety protocols at this point is laughable in its lack of empathy and understanding. Dovetail is a special place with special beers. Getting to enjoy it in any...

A Wedding with Beer, BBQ & Pizza! Who could ask for more?!

My husband and I are very low-key individuals with a love for fun food and great beer! So when it came to planning our wedding, we were looking for something that would fit those loves as well as our modest budget, Chicago has few offerings. Luckily, when attending the Ravenswood On Tap two years ago, (which also is worth checking out!), we tasted the offerings of Dovetail Brewery and came to love the beer. When it came time to find a venue for our ceremony/reception, we knew we wanted a Brewery venue space and at the top was Dovetail.

We initially met with Adrianne over a year prior to the wedding date and we instantly started envisioning our reception there in the Barrel Loft. It was the perfect space that didn't require too much for decor (we liked the more rustic look) and for the number of guests we were inviting, the Barrel Loft held as much. Additionally, table and chair rentals, parking, ADA access, and catering could all be done through Adrianne so it really was a no brainer! We signed on the dotted line and easily planned the remaining aspects of the reception.

As a planner, I can appreciate everything Adrianne did to make the experience easy, stress free, and extremely accommodating. We had two caterers, Lou Malnati's and Smoque BBQ, brought in some cupcakes from Molly's and did an open bar of beer and wine based on consumption. Very reasonably priced and zero worries for set up! We were even able to add an abbreviated Brewery Tour for our guests (which everyone absolutely loved!!!). Adrianne handled all the details with an ever present smile and a warm and inviting attitude. The day of, it was pouring outside but nothing was delayed except for my husband and me! Again, I reiterate, ZERO STRESS. Everyone had such a wonderful time which means the world to us. We will certainly be returning to Dovetail in the future for our...

Exceptional beers in a cozy, slightly industrial space. A bit out of the way but worth the trek on the brown line. Crowd on a Friday was steady although it was raining, skewing older folks who seem to appreciate good lager. So many styles to choose from and some great to-go options in cans and bottles in the coolers up front. Didn’t know they brewed wild/sour beers. Had pours of all of their smoke beers, including my first ever Grodziskie. Saved their core beers for cans to-go. Also enjoyed their seasonal offerings, all stellar. I don’t think this brewery can make a bad beer. Some great swag and friendly staff working the bar who seem to know a lot about lager.

The only downside is the prices. Although I’m willing to pay the premium as are many others and I understand lager takes more time and the ingredients are also more labor intensive in order to make authentic styles, it’s tough to see all of their beers at $9 for half liter pours or $10 for seasonal specialties…at the source nonetheless! I figured only double milkshake hemp cryo IPAs were $10/pint (or half liter). Also odd that a mixed four pack of Pilsner and Czech Dark Lager is $16 when a four pack of either is $15. Was there labor involved in mixing the packs of cans? Again, I understand there’s a price to pay for good lager, but it’s tough to spread the love of lager when it’s priced so highly. We’re approaching Switzerland price levels in craft beer. Anyway, this could be the best lager brewery in the country, and with Goldfinger not far away, Chicago really could be the lager capital of the US. Really wished I lived local to here....